Ben Sira 16:1-9

1 A large family is nothing to be desired if the children are worthless. Godless children are nothing to be proud of.
2 No matter how many children you have, don't look on them with pride unless they fear the Lord.
3 Don't put much hope in their future or expect them to live a long time. One child who does the Lord's will is better than a thousand who do not. It is better to go to your grave with no children at all than to have children who are godless.
4 A city's population may grow because of the wisdom of one person, while a whole tribe of lawless people disappears.
5 I have seen such things many times and have heard of even more striking examples.
6 The Lord's flaming anger will break out against a small gathering of sinners or a disobedient nation.
7 He did not forgive those ancient giants who rebelled against him, confident of their own strength. 1
8 He detested the arrogance of the people among whom Lot lived, and he did not spare them.
9 He showed no mercy on that nation which he doomed to destruction for its sins,

Cross References 1

  • 1. 16.7Genesis 6.4;Wisdom 14.6.

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. [Hebrew] who does . . . do not; [Greek] is better than a thousand.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.